Universal’s CinemaCon presentation Wednesday night included an extended look at DreamWorks Animation’s “Trolls Band Together,” due in theaters Nov. 17.
The plot, concerning Branch’s estranged brother coming into Branch and Poppy’s lives, isn’t that different from “Despicable Me 3.” That said, nobody goes to a “Trolls” movie for the plot. It’s all about the psychedelic musical mind melt that’s also super kid-friendly.
Anna Kendrick and Justin Timberlake took to the stage to reveal a never-before-seen musical clip from the movie. The footage starts the same as the theatrical trailer, with Poppy and Branch going to a wedding and wondering if they too should tie the knot. We meet Branch’s lost-lost and estranged brother and then the trio are whisked away to rescue the other captive brothers. That leads to the usual colorful adventures, including a brief detour into 2-D animation.
“Trolls: World Tour” shattered the theatrical window in April 2020 by going out concurrently in what few theaters were open in the early days of the pandemic and on PVOD ($20 for a 48-hour rental). This film will presumably get the now-standard 17-day theatrical window or a 31-day window if by some miracle it opens above $50 million.
Universal bragged about earning $100 million in PVOD grosses in the first three weeks, but otherwise, the extent of their earnings was a mystery. The film seemingly did very well on all post-theatrical avenues. Moreover, this will be a rare opportunity to see how a franchise that took a detour from theaters to PVOD will now fare as a theatrical-first franchise.
Will Michael B. Jordan’s “Rainbow Six” flourish theatrically after Paramount sent “Without Remorse” to Amazon? Would the theoretical “Wonder Woman 3” have thrived theatrically even after “Wonder Woman 1984” got a hybrid theatrical/HBO Max release at the end of COVID-stricken 2020?
Even before COVID made a mess of the world, it was an open question as to whether “Trolls: World Tour” would be another underperforming “for kids only” sequel to a four-quadrant “adults are curious too” franchise-starter. Of course, that we’re getting a “Trolls 3” implies that “Trolls: World Tour” was an overall commercial success.
